X-Ray Diffraction (XRD)

MES offers rapid and reliable X-Ray Diffraction analysis.

X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a nondestructive technique for characterizing crystalline materials. Typically, XRD is used for the identification of a crystalline phase or mineral. However, it can also provide information on structures, preferred crystal orientation, and other structural parameters, such as average grain size and strain distribution.

X-ray diffraction patterns are produced by a goniometer, which is rotated at specific angles while bombarding the sample material with X-rays. The diffraction pattern peak intensities are determined by the distribution of atoms within the lattice. The x-ray diffraction pattern is specific to the periodic atomic arrangements in a given material, which is compared to the ICDD standard database of x-ray diffraction patterns for phase identification.

Capabilities

Identification of powdered metal and mineral compounds

Quantification of primary and minority crystalline phases

Quantification of preferred orientation

Measurement of residual stress in metals and ceramics

Measurement of crystalline size

Sample Requirements

Requires a gram of material (minimum), which must be ground into a powder